CACHE COUNTY – The 2020 Census kicked off last Thursday, March 12. An estimated 140 million households throughout the nation and Utah started receiving their invitation in the mail to complete their census.
The census count is unusual for a number of reasons. This is the first time everyone participating will be able to complete the short list of twenty questions online.
The public is strongly encouraged to respond to the 2020 Census online using a desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, or table, and can also respond by phone or mail.
Another big difference is the census is happening in the middle of the nationwide quarantine due to the coronavirus. The census traditionally included a lot of face to face outreach. That is likely to change.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that field operations will be suspended for two weeks until April 1, 2020. Locally, field work likely won’t happen for several weeks after that.
“In Utah, they are scheduled to start in mid April,” according to Mallory Bateman, Utah State Complete Count Committee. “It’s not ideal. The online response is available for the first time and the Census Bureau feels really strong that can be used by anyone who has internet access in their home, so if you are self-isolating you don’t have to leave your home or interact with anybody.”
The Census Bureau continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation and follow the guidance of federal, state and local health authorities. Protecting the health and safety of staff and the public, while fulfilling the statutory requirement to deliver the 2020 Census counts to the President on schedule is a priority, according to a statement released by Media Specialist, Coralys M. Ruiz Jimenez.
Field operations in Logan were scheduled to start in mid April with some targeted outreach to Utah State University students.
“The [coronavirus] situation now makes it confusing” admitted Bateman, after USU campus classes and graduation were recently cancelled. Although classes are being conducted online, thousands of students have packed up and headed home – many outside of Utah.
Bateman said students who lived in dorms on campus will be counted by the University. Students living off campus would have received an invitation in the mail to respond.
“That’s part of the confusion now. The Census Bureau suggests those students respond with their off campus address rather than their parents home or wherever they may be,” she said.
For all other Cache County residents, if you have yet to fill out the online questionnaire, chances are you will continue to get reminders in the mail.
In late May, census takers around the national will begin visiting households that have not yet responded to help complete the count and the Census Bureau will continue to monitor the evolving COVIS-19 outbreak.
Everything submitted to the Census Bureau is confidential and protected for 72 years, Mallory emphasized.
“The Census Bureau can’t share your personal identifiable information with anybody or any other agency,” she stated. “They take that very seriously.”
You can visit census2020.utah.gov for more information.